Musical instrument



Feb. 14, 1961 J. J. BORELL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1957 mv: NTOR JAMES 0.80RELL ATTORNEY Feb. 14, 1961 J. J. BORELL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 15, 1957 \"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVIENTOR JAMESJ ATTdRNEY United States Patent 2,971,421 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT James J. Borell, 2509 Azales Drive, Orlando, Fla. Filed Oct. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 690,311

11 Claims. (Cl. 84-170) The present invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to keyed instruments in which two instruments capable of producing musical tones are connected together so that upon actuating the keyboard of one instrument either or both of the instruments may be played.

Heretofore various proposals have been made to provide connections between two instruments for simultaneously playing both but such proposals have not been satisfactory with portable instruments and the complicated Structures required have not met with general acceptance and did not lend themselves to ready attachment to existing instruments without complicated alterations.

Further, the prior devices have not provided means to play chords on a second multinote producing instrument upon playing the chords on a first instrument such as an accordion which produces the chord bythe depression of a single button or key.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the difficulties of the prior art and to provide means for playing one instrument from another to produce chords in the other instrument upon actuation of a single chord producing actuating means in the said one instrument such as a push button.

A further object is to provide a lightweight attachment to accordions whereby an accordion may be played and a second instrument such as an electric organ will be played simultaneously.

A further object is to provide a simple attachment to an accordion which can be applied by relatively unskilled persons and which will be effective for playing a second instrument.

Further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an accordion and an electric organ with the present invention applied so that upon actuating the accordion keyboard the organ may also play;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary horizontal section through one row of piston buttons or keys of the bass portion of an accordion shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary section of the electric switch structure and wire leads taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a plan view of a rod guiding base plate of the attachment showing the apertures with the designation of the keys for operation of the switches;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the bass section of the accordion of Fig. 2, showing how one note is produced by one of the piston buttons and showing the operation of one of the valves and the actuation of the associated switch with the wire leads therefrom;

Fig. 6, a fragmentary detail of a modified form of invention utilizing a reed organ and showing the solenoid operation of a valve thereof and the wiring cooperating with the switch shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7, a fragmentary section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, showing the switch housing applied to the keyboard for the upper notes of an accordion with the switch structure and wire leads therefrom; and

Patented Feb. 14, 1961 Fig. 8, a fragmentary section taken on line 8-8 of an attachment to the organ shown in Fig. 1, showing the solenoid operation of the keys of the organ with the leads cooperating with the leads from the switch shown in Fig. 7.

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises an accordion type instrument such as an accordion of conventional construction with the bass section being provided with a plurality of electrical switches corresponding to the number of valves or actuators in the bass section and with means to operate such switches from such valves or actuators by suitable push rods on the switches operable with or engaging the operating lever for the associated valve or actuator. The valves in the bass section are operated by the conventional piston buttons, action pistons, action shafts, pusher pins, pusher bars, and valve lever arms.

Each piston button in the bass or counterbass rows controls a single valve while each piston button in the major chords, in the minor chords, in the sevenths and in diminishing chords controls a plurality of valves or actuators and switches. The higher notes played with the right hand have switches operated when the keys are depressed such switches being mounted in a removable housing. For operating each switch from its bass valve or actuator, an electrical switch rod extends into contact with the operating lever for the associated valve or actuator, the electrical switch rod being connected to the electrical switch blade, with the electrical switch blade serving as a spring to urge the electrical switch blade to open position. The playing of chords in an accordion by the depression of a chord piston push button causes the actuation of a plurality of valves or actuators which open corresponding valves as is well known in the art. In the present invention an electrical switch is operated by each valve or actuator when the corresponding valve is opened. It will be noted that a single valve or single actuator provides for the actuation of several reeds such as reeds giving a note in one octave and the same note in another octave in the instrument being played. Similar actuators for producing a particular note are provided in a second or third instrument, which actuators in the second or third instrument are operated by a particular switch in the first instrument, which first instrument is shown to be an accordion. Solenoids are provided for operating the keys of the organ to be simultaneously played as Well as operating the note producing means of the bass section of the organ. It will therefore be evident that the playing of the accordion will result in simultaneously playing of the organ, suitable electrical conductors or leads being provided to carry the current from the actuating electrical swithces to the corresponding note producing means.

Upon more detailed reference to the drawings, the present invention is shown applied to a conventional accordion 10 having a bass section cover 11 and having the conventional keyboard 12 for playing the upper notes. To the back of the bass section housing 11, a plate 13 having a removable switch housing 14 thereon is secured to the accordion bass section by suitable fastening elements 15. Resilient cantilever blades 16 are secured on an insulating support 17 to which the blades are attached by insulated bolts 18 from which its associated lead 19 extends, the support 17 being mounted on plate 13 and bolts 18 being connected to their associated blades 16 and insulated from the plate and housing. A hot contact rod or bus bar 20 is supported by suitable insulating means in the position shown while a stop rod 21 llmi ts the opposite movement of the blade 16. Each switch blade 16 has a slideable rod 22 fixed thereto with such slideable rod passing through registering openings I 35 to the hot contact wire 29 on the accordion.

-23 through plate 13 and through the-openingsi23Ai in the back of thebass housing 11, each rod extending to and contacting one arm 24 of a valve operating bell crank lever, the other arm 25 of the bell: crank lever, being fixed to a valve pad26 of conventional design,zsuch valve pad closing one of the openingsfor. X31I1P opening'which forms the note E. The bellcrank lever 24, 25 is pivoted at its knee on a suitable bracket 25A A shaft-3t is oscillatably mounted in suitable guides .ina wellknownmanner-such as shown in US. Patent 2,556,408 to Ahern et al. 'Extending outwardly from the action shaft 3d are one or morepusher pins 31, one of which is shown with its outer end belowa projection 32 on the action piston 27 while the pusher bar 23is provided with a projection 33 below the said one pusher pin 31. It will therefore be evident'that upon depression of the E key 2613 the action piston 27 moves rearwardly so that projection 32 strikes pusher rod 31 which pusher rod contacts projection 33, moving pusher bar'ZS downwardly as viewed in Figs. 2 and 5, causing foot 29to move bell crank lever 24, 25 thereby opening the valve covered by pad 26, causing the note to be played by the accordion. The motion of lever 2 causes push rod 22 to move switch lever blade 16 into contact with the hot wire 20, thereby completing a circuit to lead 19. Lead 1% is continued to corresponding note producing means within an electric organ 3h having a bass and chord section 3i? or a solenoid 34 on a reed organ which is energized by completion of a circuit from a source of power through a lead to and controlled by a main switch 35 to a lead 37. The negative or ground wire or lead 36 is connected to the other end of the note producing means or the solenoid winding 34, the lead 37 extends from theswi-tch It will therefore be evident that-when switch is closed and the accordion E key 263 is actuated, the corresponding note will be played by the note producing means onthe electric organ"39 or the solenoid 34 opening the valve 38 to a reed on a wind or reed organ;

The chords are played in a similar manner-for example, the minor chord would be played by the C minor key which actuates a piston action 49 which piston action carries 3 projections which cooperate with certain of the pusher rods 44, which pusher rods are connected to suitable shaftswhichshafts carry other pusher rods 44 which contact the proper action bar 28' to open the I valves or operate the actuators which wouldplay C,'E flat and G,'as.is well understood'in the art.

The, C diminishing chord key is connected to an actionpiston- 41 which carries a plurality of projectionsl43 located above certain pusher rods 4 whereby such pusher rods are r operated to rotatethe corresponding shafts 45 which have pusher bars over the selected valves or operate the actuators to open the valves which play the notes C, E flat, G flat and A, thereby producing the C diminishing chord.

It will be evident that each one'of the valves is similar to the valve 26 and thelev'er 240i each bell crank contacts its associated electrical switch push rod 22 to close the corresponding electrical switch blade 16 with the hot contact 20,.thereby energizing the corresponding lead 19 which is connected to operate the corresponding note pro- 7 ducing means of the bass and chord section in the organ.

The treble or upper notes on the keyboard 2 of the accordion serve to operatesuitable switches'such as that shown in Fig. 7. Over the keyboard 12 an elongated "switch'housing' ie is mounted by anysuitable means such "switch housing extending the length of the keyboard and :being imposition closelyadjaceutithea-innerends of the and switch 56 is closed.

.keys.to,.,avoid interference with the playing of the so cordion.

To close circuits when the keys in the treble portion of the accordion are depressed, a switch housing 46 is mounted on the accordion overlying the inner ends of the keys. A Z-shaped member extends substantially the length of the switch housing 46 with one foot thereof being provided with a series of apertures through which rods 47 pass, such rods projecting through and slidable in registering apertures in the top flange of the Z-shaped member and in the bottom wall of the housing 46 and the bottom end of such rods engaging the corresponding key 48 of the keyboard. Suitable means are provided to prevent rotation of rods 47 so that the blades 49 carried thereby will be maintained in operative position. Such key 48 may be a full note or a half note. Insulatingly mounted on each rod 47 is a switch blade 4h which is held in adjusted position by means of nuts 50 threaded onto a threaded portion of arod 47 with suitable insulating washers thereon. A coiled flexible lead wire spring 51 extends from each blade to a corresponding individual lead 52. A common lead or hot wire 53) extends to a'hot contact bar. 54 insulatingly mounted on the Z- shaped frame within the housing 46. Each blade 49' is connected through its associated tension coil spring 51 to the lead 52 which extends to a solenoid 55. The hot lead 53 extends to a switch 56 connected to a supply of current shown as positive. The negative or ground is supplied througha lead 57 to the solenoid 55 thereby completing the circuit when a switch blade 49 is closed It will therefore be evident that when the key 48 is depressed-in playing'the higher notes of the accordion the rod 47 moves downwardly due to the resilient tension of the coil springSl closing the contact between the blade 39 and the hot contact bar 54, thereby completing a circuit to the solenoid 55which 1 actuate the keys of the organ.

It will therefore be evident that the playing of the accordion bass and the accordion treble notes results in simultaneously playing of the same notes in the organ 39 i a and therefore the playing of the accordion instrument can produce simultaneously playing of the organ. Further, the accordion may be played without motion of the bellows and the organ alone would be played. Secondly, with this arrangement numerous variations can :be obtained by the skill of the accordionist.

It will also be evident that the accordion may be played independently of the organ by merely opening'switches 35 and 56 and therefore the accordionist can obtain accordion sole effects, organ solo effects and organ and accordion duet efiects. p

It will be evident that the cables 61 and 62 which extend from the accordion 10 to the organ 39 have onelead for each key or note and a common hotlead." The cables may be provided with plugs of well' known type i to permit removal of such cables whereby the accordion may be played alone and carried from'place to place. It will also be evident that various other instruments such as piano, chimes, bells and the like may be provided with solenoids or other electric note producing means so that the accordion may play any of the instruments provided with the corresponding electric actuating means for the various keys. Also the instrument supplied with the electric notepro-ducing means may be played'inthe. usual manner as the switches on the accordion do not interfere with the normal operation thereof.

With the construction shown in Fig. 8,"t he housing 60 is made of the desired length and the solenoids 55 are 60 with-the solenoids thereincan t e-applied as a readily removable attachment to existing pianos, organs and similar key operated instruments, since the Width of each key in a standard keyboard is constant.

Itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the inven tion is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a multi-note producing instrument having note producing circuits, an accordion type instrument having a chord producing portion wherein a single button has a plurality of actuators for operating a plurality of note producing means, circui ry interconnecting said actuators with the corresponding circuits in said multi-note producing instrument, whereby the actuation of a sin le chord button on said accordion type instrument will directly produce corresponding tones in said multi-note producing instrument.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which each actua or in the accordion type instrument operates an electrical switch closing such electrical swi ch when the actuator is operated b a push but on. and the multi-note producing instrument is provided with circuits energized by such switches to produce the tone corresponding to the tone produced by the actuator in the accordion type instrument.

3. The invention accordin to claim 2 in which the circuit in the multi-note roducing instrument includes solenoids and the solenoids o erate the actuators in the multi-note roducing instrument to thereb produce the corres onding notes in the multi-note instrument.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which the circuitry includes one switch for each actuator of the accordion type instrument, leads adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, a lead from each switch of the accordion type instrument to an actuator for the note producing means in the multi-note producing instrument and main control switch means are provided whereby the accordion type instrument may be played with the circuits o en between the accordion type instrument and the multi-note producing instrument thereby producing sounds onl from the accordion type instrument and, alternatively, the accordion type instrument may be maintained in non-sound producing relation with the switch means closed between the accordion type instrument and the multi-note producing instrument thereby playing only the multi-note producing instrument.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which means are provided for rendering the interconnecting circuitry between the accordion type instrument and the multi-note producing instrument inoperative.

6 In combination a multi-note producing instrument having note producing circuits therein corresponding to the individual notes producible on an accordion. an accordion having a chord producing portion wherein a single piston button operates a plurality of actuators for operating a plurality of valves communicating with the reeds in the accordion for producing a plurality of notes forming a chord simultaneously, a second instrument having means top producing a plurality of notes corresponding to the individual notes produced by each valve of the accordion, an electrical switch operatable by the opening of each valve of the accordion, note producing means in the second instrument corresponding to each valve and connected to the switch of the corresponding valve of the accordion, and leads adapted to be connected to a source of power and interconnecting means in the second instrument whereby the operation of the valves of the accordion will simultaneously cause the production of the corresponding notes In the second instrument, whereby the pressing of a chord producing piston button in the accordion will cause the production of the same chord in the second instru ment.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which the accordion has treble keys that operate switches and the second instrument isprovided with a keyboard and keys spaced in accurate relation and a housing is mounted over the keyboard, a plurality of solenoids corresponding to the keys of the keyboard of the second instrument, armatures operated by said solenoids for operation of said keys of the keyboard of said second instrument and the treble key switches of said accordion being connected to the corresponding solenoids of the second instrument, whereby playing of the treble keys of the accordion pro duces operation of the solenoids of the second instrument and production of the corresponding tones therefrom.

8. The invention according to claim 6 in which main switch means are provided between said accordion and said second instrument to provide for playing of either said accordion or said second instrument individually or together by the operation of the keys and buttons of the accordion.

9. The invention according to claim 6 in which main switch means are provided for rendering said second instrument inoperative or to render said second instrument operative.

10. In combination a multi-note producing instrument having corresponding note producing circuits, an accordian type instrument having treble keys and a chord producing portion wherein a single button of the chord producing portion has a plurality of actuators for operating a plurality of note producing means, circuitry interconnecting said actuators with corresponding circuits in said multi-note producing instrument whereby the actuation of a single chord button on said accordion type instrument may produce corresponding tones in said multinote producing instrument, an individual switch on said accordion for each treble key and a solenoid housing mounted over the corresponding keys of the keyboard of the multi-note producing instrument with circuits interconnecting corresponding switches of the treble keys of the instrument with the solenoids of the corresponding keys of the multi-note producing instrument whereby closing the switches in the accordion type instrument by operation of the treble keys will actuate the corresponding circuits and thereby actuate the corresponding keys and produce the corresponding notes in the multi-note producing instrument.

11. The combination of a first multi-note producing instrument having a chord producing portion and note producing circuits wherein a single button has a plurality of actuators for operating multiple note producing means, an electrical multi-note producing instrument having corresponding note producing circuits, circuitry interconnecting the actuators on said first multi-note producing instrument with the corresponding circuits in said electrical multi-note producing instrument whereby the actuation of a single button on said first note producing instrument will produce corresponding tones in said electrical multi-note producing instrument.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,347,977 Weber July 27, 1920 1,622,364 Barbieri Mar. 28, 1927 1,696,960 Libiez Jan. 1, 1929 1,727,127 Mills Sept. 3, 1929 1,852,066 Schwarz Apr. 5, 1932 2,056,212 Schmidt Oct. 6, 1936 2,250,065 Koehl July 22, 1941 2,487,977 Larsen et al Nov. 15, 1949 2,779,225 Carlson Jan. 29, 1957 2,784,633 Hess Mar. 12, 1957 2,832,251 Hayslett Apr. 29, 1958 2,932,232 Minervini Apr. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 695,061 France Dec. 11, 1930 

